Words of Niō believes in the power of sound as a way to open new levels of awareness, intuition, healing, and new states of consciousness.
We caught up with Words of Niō to talk about his latest release ‘A Secret Code‘ and current musical projects.
Electronic Groove: Hey, Yul, hope you are well and safe. Where are you right now and how have you spent the quarantine days?
Words of Niō: Hi, I’m doing well thanks for having me. Right now I’m in Atlanta and hoping to keep my Ibiza trip on schedule, but the way things are looking not sure when that would be. My quarantine has been actually pretty busy with homeschooling, exercise, and music.
EG: Is this giving you more time to reflect and do other stuff aside from music, or are you more driven into producing and mixing?
Words of Niō: I would say both, for instance, meditation has always been part of my daily routine but now I do get a little bit of extra time for it. I have also been doing a lot of music digging which I love, finding new artists and music is always inspiring and motivating, and of course, it shapes the way I produce and play, so it’s all intertwined.
EG: Can you explain how and why did you decide to follow a musical and DJ career?
Words of Niō: In the early days I was very influenced by Depeche Mode, Underworld & Aphex Twin plus I have been making music since I was 16 years old, I played and toured with bands for many years, playing guitar, keyboards and programming my band’s electronic sequences and recording our releases, etc, so electronic music has always been part of my journey. In 2012 when my last band broke up, I took a 2-year break, and in 2014 my younger brother Ernesto AKA Silent Duality introduced me to some newer sounds and gave me the motivation to get back into music, then by 2015, I’ve made the decision to move to Ibiza to focus 100% on production and Djing.
Words of Niō: Um…My sound has now changed, so I find it difficult to put a mark on it, I was doing a lot of melodic techno but my newer unreleased productions are definitely more inclined towards indie dance, melodic house with sparkles of minimal and deeper sounds.
EG: You recently released a new EP entitled ‘A Secret Code’ in collaboration with Sarcasmo. How this idea came to reality?
Words of Niō: Sarcasmo is one of my closest music partners and friends, we have worked together on a lot of projects and trust each other’s ears in a very special way. ‘A Secret Code’ is actually his EP and the track ‘Shadows’ is our collaboration, and we are delighted with the amount of support that is getting from some major acts, while the idea was to add a small variation to his EP which was released on the home label HUMANS from Barcelona, Spain.
EG: How was the process to record it? Did you meet at the same studio or shared the files online
Words of Niō: We mainly work online exchanging files back and forward, we have busy schedules, so we send each other grooves, melodies, and most importantly, we are very honest with each other! For ‘Shadows’ I worked on the groove a lot, he worked on the melodies, I sent him some of my own vocals, but he didn’t like them, he then recorded some of his own, which are the ones you hear on the track. I think leaving the egos aside and making the track the center of all it’s an important aspect for any collaboration.
“My sound has now changed, so I find it difficult to
put a mark on it”
EG: Any other planned release coming soon?
Words of Niō: Yes, my next EP on the home label HUMANS Records, also a remix for my good friend & producer David Balmont on Alpha Black Records.
EG: We all hope that Amsterdam Dance Event doesn’t get canceled this year, we’ll wait for further news. Anyway, how was the experience in 2019? Can you share some of your highlights?
Words of Niō: I hope so too, I’m looking forward to it again, and my experience in a few words? A remarkable experience. It was what I expected and more. I was there in work mode! Networking and music. Also, playing the WOOD label showcase along with label mates and friends such as Sarcasmo, Main leaf, Iulianus, Opposite Ways was really special, and also I’m always very impressed by how courteous, educated, respectful, loving and kind the Netherlanders/Dutch can be, they really make you feel at home.
EG: Can you mention your favorite track at this moment?
Words of Niō: That is a tough one! I have to say ‘Trikk – Movimento‘. I always feel as If Trikk comes from another planet.
EG: What’s your best and worst thing of being an artist/DJ?
Words of Niō: Best? I see music as a healing tool, it’s a frequency that can heal and unite. When I’m either producing or Djing I’m able to enter “the moment” zone and that to me is liberating and of course my best friends I have met either on the studio or the dance floor. Worst? Finding yourself, what do I mean by that? Finding the proper balance in your sound. Music is such an emotional thing and on different days I can feel dubby, deep, techno-ish, housy, indie, and so on! Therefore coming to terms with that balance would be my biggest thing cause I love them all.
‘A Secret Code’ by Words of Niō and Sarcasmo is now available via Humans Records. Grab your copy here.
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